Giuseppe Bibiena indulged his penchant for combining reality and fantasy, and ancient and Baroque, in his drawings for Architetture, e prospettive (Architecture, and perspectives). Published in 1740, the volume of engravings was dedicated to Emperor Charles VI and included depictions of court performances, sacred theater, and funerary monuments honoring the members of the imperial family. This capriccio is not a preparatory drawing for any of the engravings, but it compares closely to the fantastic cityscapes seen in a number of them.
Giuseppe Galli Bibiena (1695–1757)
Capriccio of Rome with Triumphal Arch and Neptune Fountain, ca. 1740
Pen and brown ink and gray wash, with blue watercolor, over graphite
Promised gift of Jules Fisher